Virtualization environment providing user-based search index roaming and related methods

ABSTRACT

A method may include, in an initial virtual machine session for a user running on a virtual machine at a virtualization server, loading a roaming user profile for the user, generating a user search index database for the user, and indexing the roaming user profile in the user search index database. The method may further include, in a subsequent virtual machine session for the user running on the virtualization server, roaming the user search index database to the subsequent virtual machine session as part of the roaming user profile.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/236,832 filed Dec. 31, 2018 which claims the benefit of U.S. prov.app. No. 62/667,090 filed May 4, 2018, as well as Chinese app. no.201810413977.4 filed May 3, 2018, both of which are hereby incorporatedherein in their entireties by reference.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, personal computers include combinations of operatingsystems, applications, and user settings, which are each managedindividually by owners or administrators on an ongoing basis. However,many organizations are now using desktop virtualization to provide amore flexible option to address the varying needs of their users. Indesktop virtualization, a user's computing environment (e.g., operatingsystem, applications, and/or user settings) may be separated from theuser's physical computing device (e.g., smartphone, laptop, desktopcomputer). Using client-server technology, a “virtualized desktop” maybe stored in and administered by a remote server, rather than in thelocal storage of the client computing device.

There are several different types of desktop virtualization systems. Asan example, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) refers to the processof running a user desktop inside a virtual machine that resides on aserver. VDI and other server-based desktop virtualization systems mayprovide personalized desktops for each user, while allowing forcentralized management and security. Servers in such systems may includestorage for virtual desktop images and system configuration information,as well as software components to provide the virtual desktops and allowusers to interconnect to them. For example, a VDI server may include oneor more hypervisors (virtual machine managers) to create and maintainmultiple virtual machines, software to manage the hypervisor(s), aconnection broker, and software to provision and manage the virtualdesktops.

Desktop virtualization systems may be implemented using a singlevirtualization server or a combination of servers interconnected as aserver grid. For example, a cloud computing environment, or cloudsystem, may include a pool of computing resources (e.g., desktopvirtualization servers), storage disks, networking hardware, and otherphysical resources that may be used to provision virtual desktops, alongwith additional computing devices to provide management and customerportals for the cloud system.

Cloud systems may dynamically create and manage virtual machines forcustomers over a network, providing remote customers with computationalresources, data storage services, networking capabilities, and computerplatform and application support. For example, a customer in a cloudsystem may request a new virtual machine having a specified processorspeed and memory, and a specified amount of disk storage. Within thecloud system, a resource manager may select a set of available physicalresources from the cloud resource pool (e.g., servers, storage disks)and may provision and create a new virtual machine in accordance withthe customer's specified computing parameters. Cloud computing servicesmay service multiple customers with private and/or public components,and may be configured to provide various specific services, includingweb servers, security systems, development environments, userinterfaces, and the like.

SUMMARY

A method may include, in an initial virtual machine session for a userrunning on a virtual machine at a virtualization server, loading aroaming user profile for the user, generating a user search indexdatabase for the user, and indexing the roaming user profile in the usersearch index database. The method may further include, in a subsequentvirtual machine session for the user running on the virtualizationserver, roaming the user search index database to the subsequent virtualmachine session as part of the roaming user profile.

In an example embodiment, the method may further include registering theuser search index database with a search service on the virtualizationserver. In some embodiments, the method may also include updating theuser search index database using the search service based upon userprofile changes over time. Further, in the subsequent virtual machinesession, the method may additionally include running a user applicationconfigured to search the user search index database and having a pluginapplication associated therewith, with the search service updating theuser search index database through the plugin application.

In one example implementation, generating the user search index databasefor the user may comprise partitioning a central desktop database intothe user search index database. By way of example, the roaming userprofile may include display configuration settings. Also by way ofexample, the initial and subsequent virtual machines may comprise randompool virtual machines.

A related virtualization server may include a memory and a processorconfigured to cooperate with the memory to, in an initial virtualmachine session for a user running on a virtual machine at thevirtualization server, load a roaming user profile for the user,generate a user search index database for the user, and index theroaming user profile in the user search index database. The processormay also be configured to, in a subsequent virtual machine session forthe user running on the virtualization server, roam the user searchindex database to the subsequent virtual machine session as part of theroaming user profile.

A related non-transitory computer-readable medium may havecomputer-executable instructions for causing a computing device toperform steps including, in an initial virtual machine session for auser running on a virtual machine at a virtualization server, loading aroaming user profile for the user, generating a user search indexdatabase for the user, and indexing the roaming user profile in the usersearch index database. The steps may further include, in a subsequentvirtual machine session for the user running on the virtualizationserver, roaming the user search index database to the subsequent virtualmachine session as part of the roaming user profile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network environment of computing devicesin which various aspects of the disclosure may be implemented.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing device useful for practicing anembodiment of the client machines or the remote machines illustrated inFIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a virtual machine (VM)implementing a conventional machine-based search index, where the searchdatabase is shared by all the users logging to the machine.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a virtual machine implementing auser-based search index in accordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 5 is a sequence illustrating a workflow using the conventionalmachine-based search index approach of FIG. 3 , where search re-indexinghappens every time a user logs on to a new static VM or random pool VM.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating a workflow using theuser-based search index approach of FIG. 4 where the database is notinitially generated.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating a workflow using the userbased search index approach of FIG. 4 when the database already includesthe valid index for the user profile.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating method aspects associated with thesystem of FIG. 4 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present description is made with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which example embodiments are shown. However, manydifferent embodiments may be used, and thus the description should notbe construed as limited to the particular embodiments set forth herein.Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art upon reading thefollowing disclosure, various aspects described herein may be embodiedas a device, a method or a computer program product (e.g., anon-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executableinstruction for performing the noted operations or steps). Accordingly,those aspects may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, anentirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software andhardware aspects.

Furthermore, such aspects may take the form of a computer programproduct stored by one or more computer-readable storage media havingcomputer-readable program code, or instructions, embodied in or on thestorage media. Any suitable computer readable storage media may beutilized, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices,magnetic storage devices, solid-state storage devices, and/or anycombination thereof.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 , a non-limiting network environment 101in which various aspects of the disclosure may be implemented includesone or more client machines 102A-102N, one or more remote machines106A-106N, one or more networks 104, 104′, and one or more appliances108 installed within the computing environment 101. The client machines102A-102N communicate with the remote machines 106A-106N via thenetworks 104, 104′.

In some embodiments, the client machines 102A-102N communicate with theremote machines 106A-106N via an intermediary appliance 108. Theillustrated appliance 108 is positioned between the networks 104, 104′and may also be referred to as a network interface or gateway. In someembodiments, the appliance 108 may operate as an application deliverycontroller (ADC) to provide clients with access to business applicationsand other data deployed in a datacenter, the cloud, or delivered asSoftware as a Service (SaaS) across a range of client devices, and/orprovide other functionality such as load balancing, etc. In someembodiments, multiple appliances 108 may be used, and the appliance(s)108 may be deployed as part of the network 104 and/or 104′.

The client machines 102A-102N may be generally referred to as clientmachines 102, local machines 102, clients 102, client nodes 102, clientcomputers 102, client devices 102, computing devices 102, endpoints 102,or endpoint nodes 102. The remote machines 106A-106N may be generallyreferred to as servers 106 or a server farm 106. In some embodiments, aclient device 102 may have the capacity to function as both a clientnode seeking access to resources provided by a server 106 and as aserver 106 providing access to hosted resources for other client devices102A-102N. The networks 104, 104′ may be generally referred to as anetwork 104. The networks 104 may be configured in any combination ofwired and wireless networks.

A server 106 may be any server type such as, for example: a file server;an application server; a web server; a proxy server; an appliance; anetwork appliance; a gateway; an application gateway; a gateway server;a virtualization server; a deployment server; a Secure Sockets Layer orTransport Layer Security (TLS) Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN) server;a firewall; a web server; a server executing an active directory; acloud server; or a server executing an application acceleration programthat provides firewall functionality, application functionality, or loadbalancing functionality.

A server 106 may execute, operate or otherwise provide an applicationthat may be any one of the following: software; a program; executableinstructions; a virtual machine; a hypervisor; a web browser; aweb-based client; a client-server application; a thin-client computingclient; an ActiveX control; a Java applet; software related to voiceover internet protocol (VoIP) communications like a soft IP telephone;an application for streaming video and/or audio; an application forfacilitating real-time-data communications; a HTTP client; a FTP client;an Oscar client; a Telnet client; or any other set of executableinstructions.

In some embodiments, a server 106 may execute a remote presentationclient or other client or program that uses a thin-client or aremote-display protocol to capture display output generated by anapplication executing on a server 106 and transmits the applicationdisplay output to a client device 102.

In yet other embodiments, a server 106 may execute a virtual machineproviding, to a user of a client device 102, access to a computingenvironment. The client device 102 may be a virtual machine. The virtualmachine may be managed by, for example, a hypervisor, a virtual machinemanager (VMM), or any other hardware virtualization technique within theserver 106.

In some embodiments, the network 104 may be: a local-area network (LAN);a metropolitan area network (MAN); a wide area network (WAN); a primarypublic network 104; and a primary private network 104. Additionalembodiments may include a network 104 of mobile telephone networks thatuse various protocols to communicate among mobile devices. For shortrange communications within a WLAN, the protocols may include 802.11,Bluetooth, and Near Field Communication (NFC).

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a computing device 100 useful forpracticing an embodiment of client devices 102, appliances 108 and/orservers 106. The computing device 100 includes one or more processors103, volatile memory 122 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)),non-volatile memory 128, user interface (UI) 123, one or morecommunications interfaces 118, and a communications bus 150.

The non-volatile memory 128 may include: one or more hard disk drives(HDDs) or other magnetic or optical storage media; one or more solidstate drives (SSDs), such as a flash drive or other solid state storagemedia; one or more hybrid magnetic and solid state drives; and/or one ormore virtual storage volumes, such as a cloud storage, or a combinationof such physical storage volumes and virtual storage volumes or arraysthereof.

The user interface 123 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) 124(e.g., a touchscreen, a display, etc.) and one or more input/output(I/O) devices 126 (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, one or morespeakers, one or more cameras, one or more biometric scanners, one ormore environmental sensors, and one or more accelerometers, etc.).

The non-volatile memory 128 stores an operating system 115, one or moreapplications 116, and data 117 such that, for example, computerinstructions of the operating system 115 and/or the applications 116 areexecuted by processor(s) 103 out of the volatile memory 122. In someembodiments, the volatile memory 122 may include one or more types ofRAM and/or a cache memory that may offer a faster response time than amain memory. Data may be entered using an input device of the GUI 124 orreceived from the I/O device(s) 126. Various elements of the computer100 may communicate via the communications bus 150.

The illustrated computing device 100 is shown merely as an exampleclient device or server, and may be implemented by any computing orprocessing environment with any type of machine or set of machines thatmay have suitable hardware and/or software capable of operating asdescribed herein.

The processor(s) 103 may be implemented by one or more programmableprocessors to execute one or more executable instructions, such as acomputer program, to perform the functions of the system. As usedherein, the term “processor” describes circuitry that performs afunction, an operation, or a sequence of operations. The function,operation, or sequence of operations may be hard coded into thecircuitry or soft coded by way of instructions held in a memory deviceand executed by the circuitry. A processor may perform the function,operation, or sequence of operations using digital values and/or usinganalog signals.

In some embodiments, the processor can be embodied in one or moreapplication specific integrated circuits (ASICs), microprocessors,digital signal processors (DSPs), graphics processing units (GPUs),microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmablelogic arrays (PLAs), multi-core processors, or general-purpose computerswith associated memory.

The processor 103 may be analog, digital or mixed-signal. In someembodiments, the processor 103 may be one or more physical processors,or one or more virtual (e.g., remotely located or cloud) processors. Aprocessor including multiple processor cores and/or multiple processorsmay provide functionality for parallel, simultaneous execution ofinstructions or for parallel, simultaneous execution of one instructionon more than one piece of data.

The communications interfaces 118 may include one or more interfaces toenable the computing device 100 to access a computer network such as aLocal Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Personal AreaNetwork (PAN), or the Internet through a variety of wired and/orwireless connections, including cellular connections.

In described embodiments, the computing device 100 may execute anapplication on behalf of a user of a client device. For example, thecomputing device 100 may execute one or more virtual machines managed bya hypervisor. Each virtual machine may provide an execution sessionwithin which applications execute on behalf of a user or a clientdevice, such as a hosted desktop session. The computing device 100 mayalso execute a terminal services session to provide a hosted desktopenvironment. The computing device 100 may provide access to a remotecomputing environment including one or more applications, one or moredesktop applications, and one or more desktop sessions in which one ormore applications may execute.

Additional descriptions of a computing device 100 configured as a clientdevice 102 or as a server 106, or as an appliance intermediary to aclient device 102 and a server 106, and operations thereof, may be foundin U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,176,744 and 9,538,345, which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety. The '744 and '345 patents are bothassigned to the current assignee of the present disclosure.

Turning now to FIGS. 3-7 and the flow diagram 80 of FIG. 8 which beginsat Block 81, an approach for user-based search index roaming within avirtualization environment, such as discussed above, is now described.By way of background, in the desktop environment, the search indexdatabase used by the search service (e.g., Windows Search) is a centraldatabase dedicated to one machine. It includes a machine specificidentity and cannot be used by the search service running on othermachines. When any user logs in to this machine, the user can use thesearch service to search the central database for his profile withoutany problem.

However, in the virtualization environment, e.g., remote desktop orremote application hosted on virtual machines, the user is not dedicatedto one specific virtual machine. During the user logon, the user may beassigned to a new virtual machine where the user's roaming profile doesnot include the original central search index database, which onlyexists on the previously assigned virtual machine. So, the user has towait until the re-indexing finishes before he can use the search serviceto search his profile on this machine. In addition, even if the user isassigned to the same static virtual machine previously used, the user'sroaming profile may already have updated, so the re-indexing has to beperformed anyway.

If the user profile is relatively large (e.g., the size of Outlook .ostfile used by the Office 365 (O365) can be up to 20 GB), it might take afew minutes or even half an hour for the search re-indexing to finish,which leads to a very poor user experience in using the O365 in virtualenvironment. Some software uses a different search service and searchindex algorithm to generate the user-based search index and a differentinterface to search. However, this changes the user's search experience.

Generally speaking, the present approach advantageously converts thenative search index database from machine-based to user-based to makethe search index database able to roam between virtual machines as partof the roaming user profile. By doing so, user apps may use the searchservice to search the user profile immediately without waiting for thetime-consuming search re-indexing. In particular, this approach mayprovide several technical advantages that may improve the operation of avirtualized computing environment, including: a separate user-basedsearch index database instead of a machine-based index; making theuser-based search index part of the roaming profile to avoid there-indexing; and maintaining the same user search interface as in anon-virtualized computing environment.

The following terminology will be used in the ensuing discussion:

-   -   Search Indexing—to collect, parse, and store search index into        database to facilitate fast and accurate information retrieval.    -   Search Re-indexing—an action for the search service to index the        content again when the original indexed search database is        either not available or invalid.    -   Roaming User Profile—a concept that allows users to access their        documents and have a consistent desktop experience, such as        applications remembering toolbar positions and preferences, or        the desktop appearance staying the same anytime from anywhere.    -   Random Pool Virtual Machine—the user specific data is cleared        upon virtual machine reboot.    -   Static Virtual Machine—user specific data is kept upon virtual        machine reboot.

The present approach advantageously provides a way to convert the searchindex database from machine-based to user-based, and puts it into theuser's roaming profile by keeping the same native search service. Thus,the user's roaming profile can always include the latest user's profileitself as well as the latest user search index database dedicated forthe user's profile. When the user logs on to any virtual machine, oncethe user receives their roaming profile, the user can use the searchservice to search for their profile immediately without re-indexing.

By way of reference, FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional virtual machine30 implementation using the existing machine-based search index approachdescribed above, where the search database central database 31 is sharedby all the user sessions logging to the virtual machine 30 via thesearch service 34. Each user session 32 illustratively includes aroaming user profile 35 and one or more user apps 35 running in thesessions. The sequence diagram 150 of FIG. 5 provides a workflow for theconventional system of FIG. 3 using the machine-based search indexdatabase 31, where search re-indexing happens every time a user logs onto a new static VM or random pool VM (Steps 1-3), and the user app 36has to wait for the search index to be completed before receiving searchresults (Steps 5-8) each time another VM session is initiated.

On the other hand, the virtual machine 40 of FIG. 4 illustrates anexample approach for a user-based search index. More particularly, inthe present example, a plugin 43 is installed in the search service 44.A provisioning service 47 is provided to configure the search service 44via the search service plugin 43 to generate a user-based search indexdatabase 48, index other parts of the user profile 49 to the database 48dedicated to this user, and update the database incrementally as theprofile updates. The user search index database 48 is part of theroaming user profile 50, so it may be roamed from one virtual machine toanother. A plugin 51 is installed to the selected user app 46 which usesthe search service 44 to search the content of the user profile 50, sothe selected user app always uses the user search index database 48 forsearching. The user app 46 is transparent to the plugin 51 and the typeof database it uses.

The sequence diagram 60 of FIG. 6 illustrates an example workflow in aninitial virtual machine instance, where the user-based search indexdatabase 48 is not yet generated. When the user logons to a virtualmachine 40 in a site to begin an initial virtual machine session (Step 1of FIG. 6 , Block 82 of FIG. 8 ), the roaming user profile 50 is loadedfrom the server (Step 2 of FIG. 6 , Block 83 of FIG. 8 ). The searchservice 44 may then be configured to generate the user search indexdatabase 48 specific for the given user (Step 3 of FIG. 6 , Block 84 ofFIG. 8 ) for inclusion in the roaming user profile 42. The other part ofthe user profile 49, which may include user account or user data such ascached email data, etc., may be used to index the profile and update thedatabase 48 (Step 4 of FIG. 6 , Block 85 of FIG. 8 ). During the initialvirtual machine session, the user may further launch the app 46 (Step 5of FIG. 6 ), and the plugin 51 communicates with the plugin 43 and waitsfor the search index to be ready (Step 6 of FIG. 6 ). Once the searchindex finishes (Step 7 of FIG. 6 ), the app 46 may then search profilecontent from the user search index database 48 via the plugin 51 (Step 8of FIG. 6 ) and the results returned accordingly (Step 9 of FIG. 6 ).User profile updates may be made to the user search index database 48incrementally as they occur (Step 10 of FIG. 6 ) until the initialvirtual machine session is closed (Block 86).

The sequence diagram 70 of FIG. 7 illustrates the workflow using theuser-based search index database 48 in subsequent virtual machinesessions when the database already includes the valid index for the userprofile (i.e., it has already been generated as shown in FIG. 6 ). Moreparticularly, the user logs on to a new static or random pool virtualmachine session (Step 1 of FIG. 7 , Block 87 of FIG. 8 ). The roaminguser profile 50 (including the user search index database 48) may beloaded directly from the server (Step 2 of FIG. 7 ), and the user searchindex database may advantageously be loaded without re-indexing (Step 3of FIG. 7 , Block 88 of FIG. 8 ) as discussed further above.Accordingly, as soon as the user app 46 is launched, the user searchindex database 48 is ready for a search of the user's profile content(Step 5 of FIG. 7 ). Again, no search re-indexing is necessary, and theuser app 46 may advantageously use the search service 44 to search hisprofile immediately after the user app is launched. Results from thesearch are returned to the app 46 via the plugin 51 (Step 6 of FIG. 7 ).Here again, user profile updates may be added to the database 48incrementally throughout the virtual machine session (Step 7 of FIG. 7). The method of FIG. 8 illustratively concludes after closing of thevirtual machine session (Blocks 89-90).

It should be noted that the above-described approach may be used withplatforms other than Windows. For example, the same mechanism describedabove may advantageously be implemented for another system like Linuxwhich uses a central database for desktop search.

Many modifications and other embodiments will come to the mind of oneskilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it isunderstood that the foregoing is not to be limited to the exampleembodiments, and that modifications and other embodiments are intendedto be included within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: in an initial virtual machine session for a user running on a virtual machine at a virtualization server, loading a roaming user profile for the user, generating a user search index database for the user, with the user search index database not including a machine specific identity for the virtual machine, and indexing the roaming user profile in the user search index database; and in a subsequent virtual machine session for the user running on a different virtual machine at the virtualization server, roaming the user search index database to the subsequent virtual machine session as part of the roaming user profile.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the user search index database with a search service on the virtualization server.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising updating the user search index database using the search service based upon user profile changes over time.
 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising, in the subsequent virtual machine session, running a user application configured to search the user search index database and having a plugin application associated therewith; and wherein the search service updates the user search index database through the plugin application.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the user search index database for the user comprises partitioning a central desktop database into the user search index database.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the roaming user profile comprises display configuration settings.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial and subsequent virtual machines comprise random pool virtual machines.
 8. A virtualization server comprising: a memory and a processor configured to cooperate with the memory to in an initial virtual machine session for a user running on a virtual machine at the virtualization server, load a roaming user profile for the user, generate a user search index database for the user, with the user search index database not including a machine specific identity for the virtual machine, and index the roaming user profile in the user search index database; and in a subsequent virtual machine session for the user running on a different virtual machine at the virtualization server, roam the user search index database to the subsequent virtual machine session as part of the roaming user profile.
 9. The virtualization server of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to register the user search index database with a search service on the virtualization server.
 10. The virtualization server of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to update the user search index database using the search service based upon user profile changes over time.
 11. The virtualization server of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to, in the subsequent virtual machine session, run a user application configured to search the user search index database and having a plugin application associated therewith; and wherein the search service updates the user search index database through the plugin application.
 12. The virtualization server of claim 8 wherein the processor generates the user search index database for the user by partitioning a central desktop database into the user search index database.
 13. The virtualization server of claim 8 wherein the roaming user profile comprises display configuration settings.
 14. The virtualization server of claim 8 wherein the initial and subsequent virtual machines comprise random pool virtual machines.
 15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a virtualization server to perform steps comprising: in an initial virtual machine session for a user running on a virtual machine at the virtualization server, loading a roaming user profile for the user, generating a user search index database for the user, with the user search index database not including a machine specific identity for the virtual machine, and indexing the roaming user profile in the user search index database; and in a subsequent virtual machine session for the user running on a different virtual machine at the virtualization server, roaming the user search index database to the subsequent virtual machine session as part of the roaming user profile.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further having computer-executable instructions for causing the virtualization server to register the user search index database with a search service on the virtualization server.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 further having computer-executable instructions for causing the virtualization server to update the user search index database using the search service based upon user profile changes over time.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 further having computer-executable instructions for causing the virtualization server to, in the subsequent virtual machine session, run a user application configured to search the user search index database and having a plugin application associated therewith; and wherein the search service updates the user search index database through the plugin application.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein generating the user search index database for the user comprises partitioning a central desktop database into the user search index database.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the roaming user profile comprises display configuration settings. 